Steelers ‘Scouring the Earth’ to Find Help in 1 Area Before Trade Deadline: Report
The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired veteran wide receiver DK Metcalf in a trade over the offseason. But the Steelers are pushing hard to yet again acquire another receiver via a trade before November 4.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday the Steelers are searching all over for receivers on the trade market. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 4 at 4 pm ET.
“They are scouring the earth for wide receiver help. They are looking around,” Fowler said on ESPN’s Sportscenter. “Las Vegas’ Jakobi Meyers is an option. Teams are calling about Miami’s Jaylen Waddle. But the Dolphins haven’t shown they want to do anything yet.
“There could be a receiver move at the deadline. Pittsburgh could be involved in those conversations.”
Jakobi Meyers and Jaylen Waddle have been two of the more popular rumored potential targets for the Steelers and other teams needing another wideout. But the the Steelers have been linked to several other wideouts the past several weeks, including big-named stars and role players.
Steelers Searching for WR to Pair With DK Metcalf: Report
The Steelers gave up a second-round pick for Metcalf in March. Initially, it appeared the team would pair Metcalf with George Pickens. However, the Steelers then dealt Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in May.
Pundits have linked Pittsburgh to receivers potentially on the trade market since then.
Meyers has become one of the more popular potential receiver trade candidates for the Steelers this season. Multiple insiders and writers have mentioned Meyers as a Steelers targe.
In six games for the Las Vegas Raiders, Meyers has posted 29 catches for 329 receiving yards. Last season, he had 87 receptions for 1,027 receiving yards. Both of those totals were career bests.
Metcalf leads the Steelers with 22 catches and 406 receiving yards. No other Steelers pass-catcher has more than 187 receiving yards.
The next closest Pittsburgh receiver to Metcalf in yardage this season is Calvin Austin. He has 10 catches for 139 yards.
Bears Get More Bad News on Kyler Gordon Before Ravens Game
The situation with cornerback Kyler Gordon has gone from bad to worse for the Chicago Bears ahead of Week 8’s road matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
Gordon popped up on the injury report Thursday after injuring both his groin and calf in practice and spending the day’s session as a limited participant. The Bears then held him out entirely from Friday’s walkthrough before ruling him out for Week 8’s game.
Things grew worse Saturday when the Bears officially placed Gordon on the injured reserve list, meaning he will miss at least the next four games for Chicago’s defense.
The Bears will now play at least their next four games — including Sunday’s road game against the Ravens — without two of their top cornerbacks. Pro Bowl starter Jaylon Johnson underwent core-muscle surgery in September and is out indefinitely on IR.
The Bears also won’t have their other perimeter starter, Tyrique Stevenson, available against the Ravens. Stevenson injured his shoulder early in Week 7’s win over the New Orleans Saints and sat out every practice this week before the team ruled him out.
The Bears (4-2) will kick off against the Ravens (1-5) at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Losing Kyler Gordon Could Cripple Bears’ CB Room
With Gordon now out for a minimum of four games, the Bears are severely depleted at the cornerback position because of injuries and could remain that way for some time, depending on how much time Stevenson winds up missing with his shoulder injury.
The Bears will count Nahshon Wright, Nick McCloud and Josh Blackwell as their top three cornerbacks when they face the Ravens on Sunday. They will also have Jaylon Jones and practice-squad elevation Dallis Flowers available as backups, though the lack of high-level playing experience across the board raises some alarm bells for them.
On the plus side, the Bears won’t have to deal with two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson after the Ravens announced Saturday that he will miss his third straight game with his hamstring injury. The Ravens will start backup Tyler Huntley (11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 26 career games) in his place — a better matchup for Chicago.
Even still, the sudden depletion of depth could force the Bears to consider their options for improving their cornerback room — such as signing a vet — in the coming weeks.
Bears Also Shut Down Braxton Jones With Knee Injury
Gordon is not the only Bear who landed on injured reserve before Week 8’s game.
The Bears also placed offensive tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve Saturday with a knee injury. He was a limited participant in Wednesday’s first practice before the team downgraded him to a non-participant for the final two sessions to close out the week.
Jones lost his job as the Bears’ starting left tackle when the team benched him for Theo Benedet midway through Week 4’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, but he still provided the Bears with valuable depth and experience at the position before his new injury.
The injury is also likely to diminish — if not completely wipe out — any trade interest Jones may have garnered before the NFL trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET on November 4.
In a corresponding roster move, the Bears signed defensive tackle Jonathan Ford from the practice squad to the 53-man roster after elevating him in each of their past three games. Ford has played 36 defensive snaps this season, but he is less likely to see any playing time now that veteran Grady Jarrett (knee) has been cleared to play again.
